News & Events
Rice University student-founded companies took home a total of $115,000 in equity-free funding at the annual Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge last week. 2025 Rice Innovation Fellow Alexandria Carter won the top prize and $50,000 for her startup Bionostic.
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School Updates
Alex Cantin is graduating this May with a degree in business management, including a minor in entrepreneurship, from the Virani Undergraduate School of Business at Rice and will join McKinsey as a consultant. Cantin said he chose Rice because of the faculty-student ratio and because he would be one of the early graduates of the new Virani School.
24 Apr -
In The Media
Rice Business professor Emily Prinsloo comments on dynamic pricing and its recent use.
23 Apr
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Now in its 26th year, the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) presented by Rice Business has officially opened applications and is calling on the next generation of world-changing graduate student founders to compete on the global stage. This is where tomorrow’s industry leaders get their start.
U.S. News ranks Rice Business among the top 20 MBA programs for high-paying finance and accounting careers, with 2024 graduates earning an average salary of $155,407.
Rice Business will host the Rice Customer-Based Strategy Symposium on November 18, a recurring forum for sharing innovative ideas on customer-focused strategy and execution. The event features peer-reviewed research from top academics and industry insights from executives.
Get to know some new members of the Rice Business MBA Class of 2027 in this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students from Clear Admit.
Rushi Bhalani ’19 and Will Eldridge ’16 ’17 will be recognized with the Builders Award Nov. 7 during the President’s Town Hall, a signature event of Rice’s Alumni Weekend. The Builders Award is given to graduates of the past 10 years who go above and beyond in service to Rice.
Poets&Quants named Dean Peter Rodriguez its 2025 Dean of the Year, recognizing his transformation of Rice Business since 2016. Under his leadership, the school has advanced in academics, reputation and innovation.
The 10th annual Sparking Success Conference is set for Oct. 31, when attendees can experience a forum full of industry professionals, leaders and experts to network and learn important skills in the ever-changing world of business.
Peter Rodriguez, the Houston Endowment Dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business and the Virani Undergraduate School of Business at Rice University, has been named the 2025 Poets&Quants Dean of the Year, a national honor recognizing visionary leadership and outstanding contributions to business education.
In less than a decade, Rodriguez has transformed Rice Business in nearly every dimension. Beyond creating a thriving undergraduate offering, he has overseen a 192% increase in student enrollment. The growth stems from a doubling of MBA students and the launch of an online MBA—the university’s first online degree—along with a hybrid MBA option.
Rice University professor Mikki Hebl says job seekers’ willingness to accept lower pay and roles reflects a softer labor market and shifting values toward flexibility, balance, and meaningful work.